Jakarta (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presided over a ceremony to mark the Pancasila Sanctity Day at the Pancasila Sakti Monument in Lubang Buaya, East Jakarta, on Tuesday morning. The annual Pancasila Sanctity Day recognises Indonesia's success in maintaining Pancasila as the nation's ideology in the 1960s. President Yudhoyono inspected the ceremony. Personnel of the Indonesian Military (TNI), hundreds of students, and high-ranking officials, including Vice President Boediono, cabinet ministers, state institution leaders, and foreign ambassadors were present at the ceremony. Col Inf Eko Margiono was the commander at the ceremony. Regional Representative Council (DPD) Chairman Irman Gusman read the text "Pancasila," and People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Chairman Sidharto Danusubroto read the 1945 Constitution preamble. House of Representatives Chairman Marzuki Alie read and signed the pledge of Pancasila Sanctity. During the ceremony, President Yudhoyono was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono, Vice President Boediono, his wife Herawati Boediono, and cabinet ministers. The Pancasila Sanctity Day is held every year to commemorate the revolt of the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) on September 30, 1965, marked among others by the kidnapping of seven army generals, namely General Ahmad Yani, Major General Sutoyo, Lieutenant General MT. Haryono, Major General D.E. Pandjaitan, Lieutenant General S. Parman, and others. The aforementioned officers had been killed and dumped into the well-known pit Lubang Buaya, on which the Pancasila Sakti Monument now stands. On the following day, October 1, 1965, the TNI succeeded in defeating the PKI and recovered the bodies of the generals. (*)
